City says construction of transportation center has flaws

February 15, 2018

HONOLULU (AP) — A $54 million traffic management center being built for the state and city is plagued by numerous deficiencies, including leakage problems and incorrect installations of the roof, flooring, lobby glass walls and fire escape stairways, Honolulu officials said.

The city said in a news release that it has informed general contractor Watts Constructors LLC of numerous defects identified in more than 90 noncompliance reports, yet about 80 percent of the flaws remain uncorrected, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported .

The city gave the contractor seven days to begin fixing the deficiencies.

Gennaro Di Nola, Watts general manager in Hawaii, said the majority of deficiency notices were for work still in progress and that the company has been providing the city with correction plans.

“Watts, unequivocally, will ensure that all work will be put in place to the city’s satisfaction,” Di Nola said.

Among the actions the city is seeking are water tests to confirm the integrity of the roofing system and the source of the leaks, and repairs to the roof.

If Watts fails to cure the defaults, the city could terminate the contract and tap a performance bond posted by the company to complete the center.

The project, which had an original completion date of June 2017, likely will face more delays as the city and Watts address the alleged defects. A new completion date has not been set.

The city broke ground on the facility at South King and Alapai streets in April 2015. It is designed so the state and city can collaborate to improve traffic management and public safety coordination on Oahu.